Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Volvo XC90 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My husband had a 55mph crash in my 2004 Volvo XC90 on the freeway. He rear ended another driver at top speed, was spun around several times on the freeway and ended up facing traffic. The passenger side airbag deployed, but the driver's side did not. The inspector from my insurance company said there was not reason the driver's side airbag did not deploy at that speed, other than a defect, as far as he was concerned. I contacted Volvo and was basically given the run around about how the airbag should not have deployed and that this was perfectly okay. I would like an investigation especially since my cem system was not operating properly prior to the accident. I had airbag warning, brake failure, etc., and the dealer told me a year ago the cem system was not working properly and needed to be repaired at $1300, which I was not willing to pay.
Tl-contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90 ---- contact called Volvo dealer in white plains ny... Contact stated airbag light came on while driving and was on for a month.... Vehicle stalled going 50mph ... Power steering went out on main highway vehicle lost power and shut off.... Vehicle restarts and then shuts off again after going a couple miles...spoke with mechanic at dealership who stated that airbags are recalled....mechanic by the name of anthony.... Told contact that airbag light being on was not a big deal....that airbag was faulty so it would not deploy in accident........ 0 recalls associated with this VIN.. Cb
While driving any distance over 60 minutes the car warning comes on saying sudden loss of brakes, stop safely. Airbag check light comes on. Within a few seconds all the electronics shuts down; all dash, stereo, lights, wipers, windows and lack of power to engine but car stays running. This was almost a deadly crash while driving in pouring rain and there were cars everywhere. No way to signal or flashers, I honestly thought me and my family were gonna get in an accident. I have read other stories online so my question is, what is the cause of this? How do I fix it before some gets hurt or even worse killed!
While I'm motion the SRS airbag light came on transmission urgent light came on and ABS light the battery keeps bubbling like its gone blow up in my trunk I have to jump it off every morning I paid alot for this SUV can you please help me keep my only car in working order I have had all maintains done in past now the coolant system is leaking what is going on with this Volvo XC90 t6 AWD [redacted] '
March 25, 2005 had wreck, hit rear driver's side door; air bags on drivers side door and driver side rear door did not deploy. Volvo will not cooperate with car owner to fix problem with air bags. They said air bags did deploy. Owner would like further research on side curtin air bags.
After driving 125 miles without incident, we left our 2004 Volvo xc 90 t6 AWD parked for 4 hours before driving again. After less than a half mile at low speed, there was a "thump" from the front of the car, the wipers cycled, the gauges all went blank, some of the windows stopped working, the A/C went out (blower stayed on). The car stayed on, but seemed "stuck" in second gear and the brakes became "spongy," but operable. Turn signals were inoperable and the power steering went out. The indicator light on the gear shift went out and the central locking system stopped functioning. We got out of traffic and into the shade. I checked all fuses and tried to restart the car. It would restart, but within seconds there were multiple "clicks" coming from the area near the fuse box in the passenger compartment followed by the electrical failures described above. …
While on the interstate at 60mph, experienced temporarily loss of power, the ip displays and an abnormal 'jerking' in the transmission/drivetrain. The SRS airbag and brake failure error messages appeared in the ip error display. The wipers momentarily came on. Lights dimmed. Power failure was only for a split-second (at 60mph) before returning to normal. After normal power was restored, error messages continued to be shown in the ip error display. The brake failure message instructed me to pull over and bring the vehicle to a safe stop. Upon bringing the vehicle to a safe stop and turning off ignition, I heard excessive electrical clicking under the dash (like relays clicking). All ip displays were non-responsive (dark). I locked the car (alarm armed) and later returned with a tow-truck. Upon return to the car, I was unable to unlock it or disarm the alarm. Car was unresponsive. …
While driving in heavy traffic on April 25, 2009, my 2004 Volvo XC90 began jerking and then there was a sudden loss of power, the instrument panel swooped to the far right and then back to left with no other movement, the radio shut off, the windshield wipers began wiping, and the door locks and windows would not work. Shortly thereafter, the message box displayed "brake failure-stop safely", and then changed to "SRS airbag _service urgent". Once we stopped, the vehicle would not start again. I disconnected the battery in hopes of resetting the computer. Once this was done the car started again. Messages are still displayed. We contacted Volvo corporate and have an appointment with a local dealership tomorrow. This is a serious safety issue and it is not the first time I have submitted a complaint for this same type problem. …
While driving our Volvo xc-90, the entire electrical system shuts down (dashboard display, lighting, ac, power windows, power door locks, everything electrical etc.). Additionally, for a split second the engine/transmission jerks and/or stalls before resuming. The first time this happened was in 2010 and never occurred again for several years. Then suddenly on a recent trip in August 2014 this happened repeatedly and the electrical system never returned to operation during that trip. In that August 2014 occurrence we were traveling down narrow state highway 1 in big sur, california. Had we lost control of the vehicle during the jerking episodes we could have gone off the narrow road and down the steep cliff side to our deaths. This put our family in a very perilous situation. …
Driving from phx to tus at 75 mi out of phx at about 2200hrs. The car completely failed for fraction of a second then resumed normal operation until arriving at destination 10 mi. Later. The second time a week later was traveling to phx at 1800 hrs. 70mi out of tus. The car failed like the first time then a few seconds later did it again reached destination about 15mi. Later. When this happens the lights, radio, windows, dash light and gauges all stop working the mess. Comes on ABS,SRS. Its happened 5 or 6 times now with the worst being yesterday 16 June 2012 . I got off loop 202 and pulled in a parking lot and shut down the car and then attempted to restart 4 times before it restarted. The A/C,windows, lights, gauges,turn signals all failed. The mess. ABS, SRS, check engine came on. I drove about 5 mi to destination. …
Airbag complaints in other XC90 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2004 Volvo XC90?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the air bags of the 2004 Volvo XC90, 7% of the model year's 462 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Volvo XC90 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2004 Volvo XC90, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Volvo XC90 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.